Testimonials

See what others have to say!

The memories of Italy I share with my children are priceless. Thank you Marilyn for helping us make it happen.

As my three children and I planned for a two week adventure in Italy, Marilyn met with us, giving us the inside track on best locations to stay in Rome as well as “must do” activities to include. She helped me get tickets in advance for tours that often sell out, arrange train tickets, find apartments and plan for the hot summer weather. Our unanimous choice for “Best Day in Italy” came from Mars suggestion - tour of the beautiful Chianti region with Arianna and Alessio. The day culminated with a guided tour of a family owned organic winery where we were treated to a homemade meal that no restaurant could ever touch! It reminded me of my grandmother’s and mother’s cooking. Unbelievable!

Thank you so much Marilyn for helping us make our trip one filled with wonderful experiences and memories.

Maureen R.

Marilyn created an itinerary for us when my daughter was coming from NY for a visit. We were living in Parma at the time but wanted to show Kim the Italian Riviera.

She helped me with train trickets, airport lodging, and our 5 day stay in Rapallo. While I did the bookings myself, I appreciated all the options she gave me. Our stay in Rapallo was fantastic and Marilyn met the 3 of us there since she lives in Chiavari, just a short train ride away. We spent the day seeing the sights and enjoying Rapallo.‍An added plus is that Marilyn and I became close friends and we ended up moving to Rapallo 6 months later! I would highly recommend the services of Marilyn Ricci and TAKE ME HOME ITALY to anyone seeking expert travel planning experience.

Nancy M.

Working with Marilyn Ricci was fantastic! We found Marilyn though a Facebook group and hired her to help us with travel arrangements and tour suggestions. She connected us with tour guides that really fit our personalities, needs and budget. She was also able to help us better understand train travel in Italy and assisted us with identifying the best routes and booking tickets. She was a great communicator, very responsive, and her services were fairly priced. Everything Marilyn touched on our trip itinerary worked out beautifully and we would definitely recommend hiring her.

Steve & Ann Teget | Postcard Jar Travel Blog

We have been thinking fondly of our time in Chianti since we have been back home. We are so thankful to you Marilyn for hooking us up with Arianna and Alessio. Marilyn, you did a wonderful job in inquiring about our needs and wishes and then finding the perfect person, accommodations and tours to carry them out.

You all contributed so much to our memories in Italy. The tours you chose, the people you knew, Alessio’s promptness, efficiency and driving in getting us to and fro in beautiful Chianti, all of it was magical.

We all had so much fun and really, I could not pick which was a favorite. Each visit was so special and so unique. All of the “farmers” were so friendly, the meals they made us were so fresh and delicious, and their special attention to my gluten needs, thanks to you, were so thoughtful. We loved being in the heart of life in Chianti with them and you!

Arianna and Alessio, we wish you all the best in your special place in Italy. You are very fortunate to be able to call the Chianti region your home. We will be back and we will be in touch.

I have been remiss in expressing my deep appreciation to you for giving life to my journey, assisting me in finding my ancestors. I wanted to tell you how thrilled I am to have not only the names and specifics on my paternal grandparents, but also my great grandparents...G is continuing to search for records on my paternal side; they may be more difficult. But I now have names, some important dates, etc. Waiting for the actual docs; I cannot wait to see these. I am blessed to have found you.

The trip to Italy was fabulous! The hotels that you picked out for the entire trip were very comfortable and modern. In addition, the hotels were located in close proximity to the sites, buses, taxis which made getting everywhere very efficient.

The trip to the family in Fragneto L’Abate was unforgettable! It was so nice to relax knowing you knew where we were going and had set up the times and transportation for the entire weekend!

I really appreciated that you were able to make reservations to several major sites ahead of our trip. Having tickets to get in early to the Vatican was awesome; to be able to enjoy the splendor of the Sistine Chapel before the multitudes arrived was great. You also had reserved tickets for several other museums, like the Uffizzi and Academia. That ensured we would not be wasting precious times waiting in line.

Thank you so much for the memorable trip! Very well thought out, great accommodations, transportation and access to the best attractions!

Lori

Champlin, MN

I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for assisting us in creating a very memorable experience in Italy. At the beginning, I was excited that you were involved in our trip planning, as I had the confidence in your knowledge and experience, which put me at ease. All I had to do was make the necessary deposits when they were due.

Of course the highlight of our trip was meeting our Italian relatives. They were all so very nice, and made us all feel so much welcomed in their homes. And the food they provided was so delicious. I think now that we have made this connection, it is important to keep the lines of communication going. I definitely look forward to returning.

Once again, thank you so much Marilyn for all of your time and hard work in putting together such a great and memorable experience. I would not hesitate to recommend your service to anyone. You get a 10 from me.

Patrick D.

I want to thank you so much for arranging our trip to Italy. I will have wonderful memories forever. The hotels that we stayed at in Naples, Benevento, Rome, Florence and Venice were wonderful. They were all so close to everything. We easily walked to most sights.

It was nice to have the freedom to do what we wanted to do, not just a group tour. Your suggestions on what sights we could see were fabulous! Sometimes we wanted to do things as a group and that was great too.

Your suggestion to travel with just one small suitcase and a carry on was liberating. In the past, I always traveled with too big bags and too many suitcases. One small suitcase is the way I will travel now. It was so easy with my small suitcase to catch the fast trains and to travel on the airplane.

I highly recommend your services as a travel organizer. Thanks again for arranging my fantastic trip to Italy.

Kathy D.

Going to Italy but want to do your own thing? Take Me Home Italy will do all the planning so you can stay independent!

My Minnesota, USA teammates and I had an unforgettable, intimate experience in Italy thanks in large part to Marilyn’s knowledge of the culture and her personal connections to people that live there. We didn’t get lost in the crowds so to speak, amongst the tourists who partook in the 2018 International Dragon Boat Paddling race in Florence. From guidance in setting up train reservations, arranging authentic field trips within the local community and booking our accommodations, Marilyn put together a memorable, heartfelt experience in the land of Amore.

Cory Reilly Graham

Member of the Dragon Divas Dragon Boat team

Florence has been great! Our tour day was great and we enjoyed having the time in between to get some food around our piazza. We have found the market and did quite a bit of shopping, especially the girls. The wine tour was so nice, beautiful views and the peaceful country side. The picture of Dave and Claudette with some champagne they bought, it was their 26th Anniversary. Only thing that you need to prepare yourself for is the weather here! Super hot and advise sunscreen and water.

Thank you so much for helping my grandma Kathy plan this trip for us, it has been such a great trip and so many memories have been made! We are excited for our last stop in Venice and for the train ride there

Brittany V

Chuck and I would like to thank you for the wonderful trip you provided for us with to Italy last May to meet with our distant cousins from John Ricci’s family.

You did a great job connecting with our relatives via email and Facebook and lining up dates when we could all meet etc. and you kept all in our party informed of what we would be doing, when we would meet the relatives and what tours we could do our own if we wanted to.

The hotels you selected were excellent – priced very well and very comfortable and all had wonderful locations for walking around town, restaurants, sightseeing etc.

It was so fun to meet the Italian relatives – who fed us for two days - they were very enjoyable and it brought tears to my eyes to see where my grandfather lived so many years ago … and that we all walked the same little streets in town – Fragneto Le’ Abate – that he did. It was a most memorable and will never be forgotten!

Thank you again for all your excellent work and organization – we really had a great time!

Marie and Chuck J.

Brainerd, MN

I'm writing to thank you for planning the "trip of a lifetime" for my family. When I thought about taking my family of 15 to Italy, I could not imagine where to start or how I could possibly plan a 2-week trip for that many people. I believe it was divine intervention that day we met at the Festa Italiana in St. Paul MN. If I hadn't stopped at your booth, our trip would still be an unfulfilled dream, waiting to happen.

From the bus, waiting at the airport to take us to our first lodging, to the flight home from Venice, the arrangements were fantastic. You did an excellent job of planning all the transportation and lodging, down to the smallest detail. With our family of 15, ranging in age from 73 to 10, you gave importance to every consideration.

Everything went like clockwork (except for our own little mistakes) in the lodging and traveling within Italy. Our apartments were in great locations, and the accommodations were clean and easily accessible for us. The proprietors were cordial and welcoming, too. The tours in Rome and Florence that you arranged were perfect for our group. Everyone, old and young, found them informative and enjoyable.

Marilyn, we are so grateful to you for handling all the planning and details for this trip. It gave us the freedom to enjoy it immensely, without worrying about anything. If anyone had a question, we could easily refer to the clear information in the well-written itinerary you provided.